SMaSH Barleywine

Back on November 22, 2015 I brewed the SMaSH Barleywine pictured above. I was surprised at how a beer with only NW Pale Malt could come out such a beautiful, golden amber color. This might have had something to do with my mashing and boiling techniques. I pulled the grains out of the mash and boiled them like porridge for 20 minutes before adding it back into the mash tun, to get up to my mash out temperature of 168F. If you try this, make sure you stir it constantly to avoid scorching the grains. I also boiled for three hours! With only having the single base grain, I wanted to somehow create complexity. IT WORKED!

Appearance: The beer is a crystal clear golden amber color. It’s a beautiful beer in the glass

Aroma: Aromas of honey and malt with just a touch of the Sonnet Hops.

Taste: It’s nectar. Sweet, but not cloying. Much more complex than I expected. I detect honey, caramel, toffee and raisin. It’s definitely a sipping beer, made for imbibing around a fire with good friends.

Mouthfeel: Full mouthfeel, that coats the tongue with the sweetness mostly and just enough hops to keep it from being cloying.

Overall Impression: I’m quite pleased with how this one turned out. A year from now, I’m expecting it to be spectacular. It should age very nicely, considering the ABV of 12%. Right now it’s in a keg. I’m taking it to the Pacific Northwest Homebrewers Conference at the Hilton in downtown Vancouver, WA on March 5th, 2016. It will be on tap for registered conference attendees. We have enough kegs donated from our club, that I should have some left for extended aging.